Locomotive stoker



April 10, 1951 MARSDEN 2,548,227

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Aug. 7, 1947 Patented Apr. 10, 1951 LOCOMOTIV E STOKER Ernest B. Marsden,

Standard Stoker Com corporation of Delawar Erie, Pa., assignor to The pany, Incorporated, a e

Application August '7, 1947, Serial No.'767,034

Claims.

My invention relates to a flexible and sectional fuel conveying conduit system and particularly to a Stoker conduit system mounted in and extending from beneath the fuel bin of a tender to the firebox of a locomotive.

In the ordinary operation of a locomotive and tender, relative longitudinal movement occurs be tween the two vehicles as they travel around curves, and as slack therebetween is taken up in starting and stopping. It is, therefore, essential that the stoker conduit system of a stoker for delivering fuel from the tender bin to the locomotive firebox, be so constructed and mounted as to allow for such relative movement.

Numerous Ways have been previously suggested for accomplishing this end, notably by mounting the trough conduit of the stoker on the tender underframe to slide or roll longitudinally with respect thereto, or by providing a telescopic arrangement of the intermediate conduit connecting the rigidly mounted tender unit of the stoker and the rigidly mounted locomotive unit of the stoker.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and practical flexible and telescopic stoker conduit system and its arrangement with a locomotive and tender that will afford the necessary longitudinal extensibility and contractibility of the stoker conduit system as relative longitudinal movement between the locomotive and tender occurs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and practical telescopic Stoker tender unit and mounting thereof on the locomotive tender, the major portion of the tender unit of the stoker being rigidly mounted on the tender.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a stoker conduit system wherein the-forward end thereof is rigidly mounted on the locomotive and the rearward end thereof is rigidly mounted .on the tender, a novel and practical construction and arrangement of parts afiording the necessary extensibility and contractibility to compensate for relative longitudinal movement between an intercoupled locomotive and tender.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 through adjacent ends of a locomotive and tender taken at one side of the longitudinal center line thereof, with the novel stoker conduitsystem applied thereto, and shown in elevation with parts broken away and shown in section;

is a vertical longitudinal section Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

An intercoupled locomotive and tender is shown in Figure 1, the locomotive being designated by the letter L, the tender by T, and the coupling connection therebetween by C. The coupling C, which may be of any well known construction, permits articulation between the locomotive and tender, and provides for the usual amount of relative longitudinal movement between them.

A stoker indicated generally by the letter S, conveys fuel from beneath the fuel bin 10 of the tender to the firebox ll of the locomotive. The

stoker S includes a conduit system comprising.

a trough conduit section I2 mounted on the tender, a discharge conduit section [3 rigidly mounted on the locomotive, and an intermediate conduit section It connecting the conduit sections 92 and l3. A flexibly connected sectional screw conveyor l5 advances the fuel through the conduit sections l2, l3 and M.

The trough section l2 includes a relatively short U-shaped front trough portion I6 and a relatively long U-shaped rear'trough portion I! which are telescopically connected, as hereinafter described, to provide for relative longitudinal movement therebetween.

The rear trough portion I 'I is preferably of built-up construction including the rear cast trough member 18 having a preferably integrally cast gear housing 19; and a bent U-shaped sheet metal trough member 20 received in and secured in any suitable manner to the cast trough member l8. It is apparent, however, that the rear trough portion I! may be formed as an integral unitary casting, or built up in any suitable manner, if desired. The rear trough portion I1 is rigidly secured to the tender floor 2|, but may, if desired, be rigidly secured through suitable support members to the tender underframe 22.

The means for rigidly securing the rear trough portion I! on the tender, shown in the drawing, includes a pair of angle bars 23 and 24, secured to the underside of the floor 2| by suitable means, as by the bolts 25. The angle bars 23 and 24 extend longitudinally along the opposite side marginal edges of the floor 2| defining the longitudinally elongated rectangular opening 26 therein. The opening 26 permits fuel to drop by gravity from the bin 10 into the trough section l2, whence it is conveyed forwardly to the locomotive firebox H by the sectional screw conveyor [5.

The rearward end of the front trough portion is fits closely about the forward end of the rear trough portion 1?, and is in telescopic engagement therewith. The upper edges of the side walls 21 and 28 of the front trough portion l6 are provided, respectively, with the laterally out wardly extending horizontal flanges 29 and 38 arranged to be received by the longitudinally extending brackets 31 and 32, respectively. The brackets 31 and 32 are rigidly secured, in any suitable manner, to the under side of the floor 2|, and are so formed to provide guideways permitting the front trough portion 16 to slide longitudinally with respect to the rear trough portion H. fhe front trough portion is thus pendently and longitudinally slidably supported from the tender floor 2! and affords the necessary extensibility and contractibility of the stoke conduit system as relative longitudinal movement between the locomotive and tender occurs.

A hollow spherical shell 33, provided with a short tubular portion 3 which registers with the opening 35 in the front wall 38 of the front trough portion it, is rigidly secured to the front trough portion l8 in any suitable manner. The hollow spherical shell 33 is arranged to be received in the vertically split spherical clamp 3"! of the intermediate conduit section i4, forming a universal joint connection between the intermediate conduit section Hi and the trough section 12. V

The lower end of the discharge conduit scction I3 is formed with a horizontally split spherical seat 33, re eiving the ball member 35 of the intermediate conduit section id, to form a uni-- versal joint connection between the two conduit sections. The universal joint connections in the conduit system allow for relative angular movement between the conduit sections as relative angular movement between the locomotive and tender occurs in traveling over curving track.

It will be observed that, in the stoker construction above described, the en'lre trough 52, including the rigid rear trough portion ii and the longitudinally slidable front trough portion I6, is open at its top to receive fuel from the bin it. The front of the trough is readily accessible for removal of rail spikes, tramp iron and other foreign material should they be caught between the screw flight and the marginal edge of the front wall of the trough defining the discharge outlet 35.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that while the trough conduit section of the stoker is arranged to compensate for relative longitudinal movement between the locomotive and tender, the major portion of the trough is adapted to be rigidly mounted on the tender. Only a small forward portion of the trough is pulled forward or pushed rearward on the tender by the locomotive as relative longitudinal movement between the two vehicles occurs, thereby minimizing the strain imposed on the front sections of the conduit system and on parts of the locomotive as compared to constructions in which the entire trough section is pulled forward or pushed rearward in the tender by the locomotive. At the same time the conduit system dispenses with relatively longitudinally moving parts between the forward end of the trough and the discharge conduit, and the entire trough is open to the fuel bin to receive fuel therefrom.

I claim:

1. A stoker for an intercoupled locomotive and tender, including a fuel discharge conduit section adapted to be rigidly mounted on the locomotive, a fuel receiving conduit comprising a rearward open mouth forwardly opening trough member adapted to be rigidly mounted on the tender and a forward open mouth rearwardly opening trough member telescopically related and in axial alinement with said rearward trough member to provide for relative longitudinal movement between said trough members, means for pendently supporting said forward trough member from the tender deck, and an inextensible intermediate conduit flexibly connected at its ends with said discharge conduit and said forward open mouth trough member.

2. A stoker for an intercoupled locomotive and tender, including a fuel discharge conduit section adapted to be rigidl mounted on the locomotive, a fuel receiving conduit comprising a rearward open mouth forwardly opening trough member adapted to be rigidly secured to and supported from the tender deck and a forward open mouth rearwardly opening trough member telescopically related and in axial alinement with said rearward trough member to provide for relative longitudinal movement between said trough members, means for pendently supporting said forward trough member from the tender deck, and an inextensible intermediate conduit flexibly connected at its ends with said discharge conduit and said forward open mouth trough memher.

3. A stoker for an intercoupled locomotive and tender, includinga fuel discharge conduit section adapted to be rigidly mounted on the locomotive, a fuel receiving conduit comprising a rearward open mouth forwardly opening trough member adapted to be rigidly mounted on the tender and a forward open mouth rearwardly opening trough member telescopically related and in axial alinement with said rearward trough member to provide for relative longitudinal movement between said trough members, means for pendently supporting said forward trough member from the tender deck, said means arranged to arrest any but relative longitudinal movement of said forward trough member with respect to said tender deck, and an inextensible intermediate conduit flexibly connected at its ends with said discharge conduit and said forward open mouth trough member.

4. A fuel receiving tender trough unit of a stoker adapted to be mounted beneath the tender deck, comprising a rearward open mouth forwardl opening trough member adapted to be rigidly mounted on the tender and a forward open mouth rearwardly opening trough member mounted telescopically and in axial alinement with the forward end of said rearward trough member to provide for relative longitudinal movement between said trough members, the

overlapping surfaces of said telescoping members fitting closely one within the other, a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending guide supports adapted to be rigidly secured to the underside of the tender deck, and flanges formed with and extending laterally from the upper ends of the side walls of said forward trough member arranged to be received in said guide supports for pendenily supporting said forward trough member, said guide supports and flanges cooperating to arrest any but longitudinal movement of said forward trough member with respect to said rearward trough member. 7

5. In a locomotive tender having a fuel bin provided with a floor having a longitudinally elongated fuel discharge opening, a sectional trough mounted to receive fuel by gravity from said bin through said opening, said trough comprising a forwardly opening rearward trough member rigidly mounted on the tender, a rearwardly opening forward trough member in overlapping telescopic relation and in axial alinement with said rearward trough member to provide for relative longitudinal movement between said trough members, a longitudinally extending guide support rigidly secured to the underside of said floor at each side of the forward portion of said discharge opening, and a flange formed with and projecting laterally from the upper edge of each side of said forward trough member, said flanges being received in said guide supports for ERNEST B. MARSDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Lower Feb. 19, 1929 Lippert Dec. 11, 1934 Hanna Dec. 31, 1946 

